The Observer, October 6, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 6
Laswell delivers emotional debut in Through Toledo
In today's genre-crossing musical environment, it becomes harder and harder to assign new artists to a certain genre. Many artists make a name for themselves by creating new skillful and artistic combinations of styles, instead of becoming successful on sheer musical talent.
But when an artist just focuses on presenting well-crafted music for what it is, he or she can also make a stir. Greg Laswell's major label debut, Through Toledo, is just that. There is no gimmick. Laswell has produced an album of honest, pure music that simply astonishes the listener in its beauty and openness.
Laswell originates from Long Beach, Calif., but moved to San Diego to pursue a college degree in communications. In college, he became enthralled with the local music scene, playing in a number of bands and even starting his own record label. After his bands fell through, Laswell decided that it was time to make a solo break. He made a large splash in the California area, winning the San Diego Music Award for Best Local Album for his first solo CD, Good Movie.
In addition to writing all 11 songs on the album and singing lead vocals, Laswell also produced the album and plays almost every note himself. He recorded each individual instrument's track and spent countless hours in the studio, mixing and adding as he felt necessary. This becomes one of the primary strengths of the album: there was no middle man. Laswell made all of the executive decisions and these songs benefit from being presented exactly as the writer intended.
For most artists, their most fulfilling and influential work is born from unfortunate tragedy and pain. This is also the case with Laswell: when his wife suddenly left him, the songs practically wrote themselves. According to Laswell, "the songs on this album all came from heartbreak. I don't have a clear recollection of writing some of the songs because they were really such a reaction, an automatic response to what happened. It's an album I never wanted to write, but I'm glad I did."
Laswell's transformation of pain into beauty does not go underappreciated on this album. Each song has its own individual personality; from the more up-tempo tracks such as the opener "Sing, Theresa Says" to the slow, stark and haunting "High and Low," the vocals shine. Laswell can pack more emotion into simple words than most artists who have been recording for twice as long. As the song "Worthwhile" is ending, it sounds as though his heart is breaking along with his voice, as it hovers on the edge of dropping out altogether. Because the album was written out of a heartbreaking time in his life, there are not a lot of happy-sounding songs on the album. This is more of a medium for Laswell to give himself closure.
But this is not to say that Laswell is some sort of neo-emotional artist. Not every song on the album is a slow ballad, although those are the standouts of the CD. On the few up-tempo numbers, the composer's talents shine through even more. He utilizes a veritable rock orchestra as back-up for his vocals on songs such as the previously - mentioned "Sing, Theresa Says." The realization that he played each instrument himself amazes the listener. The lyrics of the album are also nothing to be scoffed at. "Come Undone," a haunting lament to Laswell's lost love, contains the most poignant lyrics of the entire album.
Laswell unshamedly bares his troubled relationship in Through Toledo. Every song on the album is personal to a shocking extent, and he knows that. He explains that "the most important thing to me is communication – that's the reason I do this. People can tell if something is real, or if it's fictional, and if it's real, it just flows." Through Toledo does just that. It flows into the listener, touching mind, heart, and soul. Laswell's haunting voice lingers in the mind hours after listening, and that is definitely the mark of a stellar debut album.
